BIOGRAPHY

I am a Distinguished Professor emeritus (2024-) with the School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics at the Queensland University of Technology and founding director of the QUT Centre for Robotics (2010-).   I have created widely-used open-source toolkits for robotics and vision; a popular textbook “Robotics, Vision & Control” (now in its 3rd edition); and the QUT Robot Academy (free online resource) — this work has been recognised by the 2025 Joseph F. Engelberger award and the RAS Distinguished Service Award. I have had broad editorial responsibilities including: editor-in-chief of the IEEE Robotics&Automation magazine, founding editor of the Journal of Field Robotics, founding multimedia editor for the International Journal of Robotics Research, and member of the Springer STAR series editorial board.  My research activities span machine robotic vision and field robotics, and I have worked in both government research (6 patents) as well as academia (over 40k citations).

IEEE ACTIVITIES

COMMITTEES/BOARDS:

REGIONS:

SECTIONS/CHAPTERS

STUDENT BRANCHES:

SOCIETY:

• Advisory board of Robotics and Automation in Practice (T-RAP)
• Advisory board of IEEE Transactions on Field Robotics (T-FR)
• Editor-in-chief of the IEEE Robotics&Automation magazine, 2009-2013
• Member of AdCom 2008-10 (elected at large), 2010-12 and 2015-18 (elected at large)
• RAS nominations committee 2008/9, 2016
• RAS standing committee on publications SCTP 2008/9
• RAS Ad hoc Committee on Vice President Elections 2009
• PAB, FAB, MAB as EIC of RAM 2010-2013

CONFERENCES:

• Program co-chair for IROS 2028
• Workshops & tutorial co-chair 2026
• Program chair for ICRA 2018
• Member of senior TPC for ICRA 2008-10, 2017; IROS 2016-17
• Video chair ICRA 2007, 2009
• Various best paper committees

OTHER:

QUALIFICATIONS

I have served three previous terms on the AdCom (2008-13, 2015-18) and made useful contributions and reforms to the functioning of the society.  I have a strong understanding of how the society works, and have been proactive in activities such as conference quality, education, and the history of our field.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Co-organizer of the largest ICRA 2018 (at the time,  a record number of papers submitted and presented and record number of delegates) and pioneered many innovations:
  • poster pods for interactive presentations as used subsequently in ICRA 2019 and 2022
  • oral presentation track for award nominees
  • videos of all presentations available via the app before the conference
  • co-locating conference and exhibition
• Initiated the IEEE RAS robotics history project, still ongoing
• As EiC (2009-13) worked to improve the scope and relevance of the IEEE Robotics&Automation magazine through innovations such as new columns, increased differentiation from the Transactions, a major redesign and the move to digital delivery.
• Worked to improve the quality of ICRA through involvement in roles such as senior TPC, video proceedings editor, best paper committees

POSITION STATEMENT

The IEEE is an international society and must harness the energy of volunteers from around the world in a friction-less manner.  I strongly believe that the Robotics and Automation society should be a “big tent” and should promote the interests of robotics generally.  The society should seek to support and cooperate, not compete, with other organisations that similarly promote robotics.  The society should also be proactive in making knowledge of robotics accessible to as many people on the planet as possible — through initiatives such as open online education assets, regional activities and targeted financial support.